One of the surest ways to be the best agent you can possibly be, and bring the most value to the clients you serve, is by being more knowledgeable than anyone else about what you're selling. Whether it's a particular destination, a resort collection, a cruise ship or a certain type of tour package, the more you know, the more your clients will rely on you for all their travel needs. Kerry J. Cannon, Jr.

But where do you, as a home-based travel agent, get the education you need to stay ahead in a changing travel landscape?

Travel Agent University (TAU) is a program that we developed in the early 1990s to help agents learn about, and specialize in, all types of travel destinations, products and services. TAU is by far the largest, most successful education program in the travel industry, having awarded more than 360,000 certifications and diplomas to more than 250,000 agents over the past 15 years.

With 35-plus interactive online courses and programs to choose from—and new ones being added all the time—you can immerse yourself in such amazing destinations as South Africa, Tanzania, Korea, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Portugal and Ecuador.

You can familiarize yourself with the finest hotels in the world, including 10 amazing MGM Mirage properties in Las Vegas, InterContinental Asia and Langham Hotels International; take tours of the ships of Crystal Cruises and Celebrity; study the ins and outs of booking destination weddings; or brush up on booking moun-tain holidays, at Ski U.

All of our courses can be found online at Travel Agent University (www.tauniv.com). Each course is designed, authored and meticulously planned by our Travel Agent University editorial team, who have over 110 years of combined experience. When you complete a course and pass the final exam, there are tremendous benefits, including Travel Institute credits (CEUs) toward your CTC or CTA certifications, booking bonuses, rewards, client discounts, fam trips and more. It's like being paid to do something that will help you make more money!

So make it a New Year's resolution to pick a handful of places and products about which you'd like to know more, enroll in Travel Agent University—it's FREE—and start to get smart about the places and suppliers that will help you earn more and find new clients.

P.S. If you are a supplier or destination marketer interested in developing a course for Travel Agent University, please drop me a note.

Kerry J. Cannon, Jr. Group Publisher [email protected] 212-895-8247